Factors Associated with Colorectal Cancer Prevalence Among Long-Haul Truck Drivers in the United States.

PURPOSE: To determine the age-adjusted association between colorectal cancer (CRC) risk factors and CRC prevalence among long-haul truck drivers (aged 21-85), after adjustment for age. DESIGN: Pooled cross-sectional analysis using Commercial Driver Medical Exam (CDME) data. Setting. National survey data from January 1, 2005, to October 31, 2012. PARTICIPANTS: 47,786 commercial motor vehicle drivers in 48 states. MEASURES: CRC prevalence was the primary outcome; independent variables included demographics, body mass index (BMI), and concomitant medical conditions. ANALYSIS: Kruskal-Wallis tests to analyze continuous variables; Fischer's exact tests to analyze categorical variables; univariate and multivariable logistic regression for rare events (Firth method) to quantify the association between the independent variables of interest and CRC prevalence. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were adjusted for age, gender, years with current employer, year of exam, and BMI in a multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Many factors were statistically significant. Obesity (OR = 3.14; 95% CI = 1.03-9.61) and increasing age (OR = 1.10 per year; 95% CI = 1.07-1.13) were significantly associated with CRC prevalence. Truckers with 4 or more concomitant medical conditions were significantly more likely to have CRC (OR = 7.03; 95% CI = 1.83-27.03). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight mutable risk factors and represent an opportunity for intervention that may decrease CRC morbidity and mortality among truck drivers, a unique population in the United States estimated to live up to 16 years less than the general population.

Genetic Evaluation for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes Among African Americans: A Critical Review.

While hereditary cancer syndromes have been described and studied for centuries, the completion of the human genome project fueled accelerated progress in precision medicine due to the introduction of genetic testing in the 1990s, creating avenues for tailored treatments and medical management options. However, genetic testing has not benefited everyone equitably, with nearly all of the published work based on individuals of non-Hispanic White/European ancestry. There remains a gap in knowledge regarding the prevalence, penetrance, and manifestations of common hereditary cancer syndromes in the African-American population due to significant disparities in access and uptake of genetic testing. This review summarizes the available literature on genetic testing for breast, colon, and prostate cancers in the African-American population and explores the disparities in access to genetic testing between non-Hispanic White and African-American patients. This article also addresses the barriers to genetic testing and discrepancies in the uptake of recommendations for hereditary cancer syndromes in the African-American population when compared with non-Hispanic Whites. The review offers practice implications for many healthcare providers and demonstrates gaps in the existing knowledge to be addressed in future studies to help eliminate the persisting health disparities faced by the African-American population.

Factors associated with colorectal cancer screening intent and uptake among adult Non-Hispanic Black men.

Non-Hispanic (NH) Black men in the United States have the lowest five-year colorectal cancer (CRC) survival rate across all racial/ethnic and sex subgroups and are less likely than their NH White counterparts to complete CRC screening. We hypothesized that greater masculinity barriers to medical care (MBMC) would be negatively associated with CRC screening uptake. Employing a survey design, we examined the MBMC scale and other psychosocial factors influencing CRC screening intent and uptake in a sample of 319 NH Black men aged 45 to 75 years residing in Minnesota, Ohio, and Utah. A series of ordinary least squares and logistic regression models were run with intention and uptake as the outcome variable while controlling for various demographic characteristics. Independent variables in all models included average score on the MBMC; CRC screening knowledge, beliefs and values; and barriers to and social support for CRC screening. Social support, marital status, and age were positively associated with CRC screening intention. Increased CRC screening knowledge and older age were associated with a greater likelihood of completing a stool-based screening test for CRC. Fewer masculinity-related and CRC screening barriers were associated with a greater likelihood of undergoing a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Contrary to our primary hypothesis, lesser MBMC-related perceptions were associated with increased CRC screening uptake among NH Black men. Our findings inform future CRC promotion programs and emphasize the need for multilevel interventions tailored toward this marginalized population to reduce disparities in screening and survival.